Jewel In the North

by Tricia Stringer

  “No, but he did find his way to the bottom waterhole, which is lower down the same waterway where I found this one.” Joseph pulled a grubby leather pouch from his pocket and tipped the rock it contained into the palm of his hand. He tossed it from one hand to the other. “We should have it cut one day. Might make a nice piece of jewellery.”

  William ignored his father’s remark. Joseph had made similar suggestions before but William knew he liked to keep the raw diamond as his lucky charm.

  “You haven’t ever thought about looking for more?”

  Joseph gripped the rock in one hand and fixed his steely gaze on William. “I’ve seen what mining does to people.”

  His father never talked much about his time on the Teetulpa goldfields but William knew it hadn’t been an easy or happy couple of years scratching to find gold to bring them home some money during the drought.

  “It would only be us,” William said. “We’d take care of the land.”

  “Others would get wind of it. It’s enough we ask your Uncle Binda’s people to share their country with us.”

  William gripped the rail in front of him. He didn’t agree with his father’s views on natives belonging to this land. “It’s our home now. You were born here, I was born here.” He stared out at the country stretching out in front of him. He thought of it as Baker country.

  Joseph sighed. “Regardless of where Binda’s people live we only lease this country.”

  “And we will keep the lease from now on.” William turned and watched his father push the rock back into its pouch.

  Joseph lifted a sorrowful gaze to William. “We can’t stop other people from staking mining claims here so it’s best we leave it be.”

  William gave a sharp nod. Even though he didn’t think of this country as belonging to the natives he had no interest in looking for diamonds. On that he agreed with his father. He lifted his hat and tugged his fingers through his stiff curls. “I still don’t understand what would have made the fellow come all this way.”

  “There are always people searching for minerals and gems. Before I hurried him on his way the South African told me this country was similar to diamond country in his homeland.”

  “But how did he end up in exactly the right place?”

  “Not exactly the right place. The hidden waterhole where I found the diamond is much further along and higher up in a narrow gorge at the farthest boundary of Smith’s Ridge.”

  “Well thankfully that Becker fellow didn’t have much of a look around before you gave him short shrift, and Albie no longer works for Prosser. Ellis found him drunk again late last year and told him never to come back. Threatened to beat him if he set foot on Prosser land.”

  “I don’t know how you can stand to be near that man.”

  “I’m not fond of him but—”

  “He has a beautiful daughter.”

  William gave his father a dismissive look. He was in love with Georgina Prosser but no-one knew that. Not even Georgina. “I was going to say he has an excellent knowledge of cattle. It would be foolish of me not to take lessons from the nearest expert.”

  “As long as the only lessons are those about cattle.”

  “Don’t worry, Father. Ellis barely gives me the time of day, but because I’ve shown an interest he can’t resist the opportunity to show how much he knows. We speak of nothing but cattle at Prosser’s Run.” William didn’t mention how he tried to continue meeting up with Georgina while he was there. It was never easy but the last few times he’d been checking cattle in the yards close to their house Georgina had come and watched or ridden past a few times on her horse.

  “I assume you are intending to inspect the cattle again?” Joseph pushed the battered hat he’d been carrying onto his head. “We’d better get to it before I seize up altogether. The ride home tomorrow already seems very long.”

  Thomas stayed back at the house with Timothy and Eliza to talk over the logistics of what would fit at the Wildu Creek house and what would not. They would leave with him tomorrow. Binda offered to do a visit to each of the shepherds camped around the property. He would make his way home to Wildu Creek later so it was only William, Robert and Joseph who rode out to check the cattle were settling into their new home.

  They reined in their horses on a ridge that gave a view across the slopes below them and thus a good vantage point to cast their gazes over the cattle. The animals had spread out, heads down, munching in the thick grass.

  William sat high in the saddle and leaned forward to take in the sight of his cattle in their new home. Their bigger size and russet brown and deep black coats looked so different from the pale brown sheep he was used to. “I will move them to the higher country later and bring the sheep onto the plains. I want to keep them close while they settle in.”

  “Look at that damn bull.” Joseph pointed at the large black bull meandering its way between the blue bushes. “He looks perfectly angelic.”

  William chuckled. “He certainly didn’t give us any more trouble after you dealt with him, Robert.”

  “He just needed someone to call his bluff. He’s happy now.”

  “They’d all better be,” Joseph said. “They’ve got work to do if we’re to recover our investment.”

  “Someone’s coming.”

  William looked in the direction of Robert’s outstretched hand. Two riders were making their way up from the creek, following the fence line.

  “It looks like Ellis Prosser,” Joseph growled. “What a way to spoil a beautiful day.”

  William ignored his father’s gruff reaction. “He said he might come and have a look once we got back.”

  “He’s quick off the mark.” Joseph glared in the direction of the riders. “Who’s that with him? It looks like a woman.”

  William took in the other rider, who did indeed look slight of form.

  Before he reached them Prosser waved an arm in the general direction of the cattle. “I hope you didn’t pay a lot of money for this dismal lot, Baker,” he bellowed.

  William heard his father’s sharp intake of breath but he barely acknowledged it, or Ellis Prosser. His gaze was only for the woman who rode beside Ellis. Georgina Prosser always took his breath away but today she looked even more beautiful. She wore a crisp white shirt buttoned to the top with a deep red velvet bow tied at the collar and over that a smart tan jacket. Her wild red curls were swept back in another bow and she wore a broad-brimmed hat to shade her pale skin. It was her legs that held his attention. Not that he could see her legs, but she was wearing light trousers tucked into long boots so she could ride the horse like a man. He’d never seen her do that before.

  “Hello, William.” She smiled brightly at him and then at his father. “Mr Baker.”

  Joseph moved his horse up beside William’s and ignored Prosser altogether. “It’s a lovely day for a ride, Miss Prosser. I hope your mother is well.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Finally he turned his attention to Prosser. “There’s little wrong with these cattle that our plentiful country feed won’t fix, Prosser. You’ve made good time coming to look at them. We only arrived back at the homestead a few hours ago.”

  “One of my men caught sight of you yesterday as you made camp near the creek. I thought I would come and inspect the animals you ended up with. I wouldn’t want anything diseased near my prime cattle.”

  Finally William dragged his gaze from Georgina’s pretty smile and found his voice. “These animals are all healthy specimens, Mr Prosser. As Father says, they need some fattening up — that’s all.”

  “Hmph!” Ellis snorted and so did his horse.

  William wanted to laugh but he knew it was not the time.

  “You didn’t rush them?” Ellis peered at him doggedly.

  “No. Just as you said, we brought them quietly along and they are quite used to us being around them now.”

  Ellis harrumphed again. “Good.”

  “We were just going to walk among
them.” William dismounted and tethered his horse. “Do you wish to join us?”

  Ellis mopped his florid face with his handkerchief. “It’s warmer than I expected.”

  “I’d like to.” Georgina slid from her horse.

  Once more William was lost for words.

  “Why don’t we let the younger generation inspect the animals?” Joseph also got down from his horse. He waved a hand at his youngest son. “Robert has a water bag and some mugs. We can sit in the shade while we wait.”

  “Very well.” Ellis looked his daughter in the eye. “Don’t be long, Georgina. I want to make home creek to camp tonight. Make sure our own cattle in that region are in good form before we return home.”

  Georgina’s pale green eyes swept over William, her lips turned up in a cheeky smile. “It seems we must be quick.” She lowered her gaze. “And yet one mustn’t rush when there are cattle about, must one, Father?” She set off. William followed with Ellis’s loud snort sounding behind him.

  “See to Miss Prosser’s horse, Robert.” Joseph could tell his youngest son was about to join the walk, but it was patently obvious William was smitten by Georgina Prosser — a fact Joseph thought her father had not yet detected. It took every ounce of his being to be polite to Ellis Prosser but Joseph did it for his son. Georgina might be Ellis’s daughter but from the few times he’d met her he’d seen none of the brash aggrandisement and bigotry exhibited by her father. There were few enough young women for William to meet. A short walk alone with Georgina Prosser would be good for him.

  Robert brought the water, gave his father a petulant look then saw to the horses.

  Ellis continued to mop at his face. “Yes, I think I could do with a sit in the shade. The damned weather is out of kilter. We have cold autumn nights and yet still the heat of early summer during the day.”

  Ellis settled himself on a flat part of the ridge and Joseph offered him a mug of water. He took a mouthful and wiped his hand across the back of his mouth. “She looks like a man,” he snarled. “I knew nothing good would come of this giving women the right to vote. I don’t know what this state is coming to. The sooner we form a federal government and put paid to this nonsense the better. Next we know they’ll be giving natives the vote.”

  Joseph swallowed the retort he wanted to make. For his son’s sake he would keep the peace. Prosser was such an arrogant man he probably hadn’t even thought that Joseph’s wife, even though of age, could not vote with the other women because she was an Aborigine.

  He tried a different approach. “Surely you’re proud to be part of such a forward-thinking state as ours, Prosser. The other states will have to follow suit now.”

  Prosser harrumphed and continued to glare down the slope.

  Joseph followed the progress of his son and Prosser’s daughter as they reached the plain and walked on steadily, side by side with an appropriate distance between them. Prosser was right about one thing. Even though her figure was shapely, from the distance and wearing trousers, Georgina could easily be mistaken for a man. However, he doubted that had any connection to her new ability to cast her vote.

  “She must be a comfort to you.” Joseph did not like Ellis Prosser but he felt a sudden empathy for the father whose two sons had died, one from a native spear wound and the other from typhus on the Teetulpa goldfields. Joseph’s first wife had died during childbirth, the baby with her; he understood grief and loss.

  “She is.” Ellis turned his crevice-lined face to Joseph. “And yet I must send her away.”

  Joseph inspected his neighbour. “Why?”

  Instead of sorrow Ellis’s face was twisted in anger. “Because of your son.” He spat the words. “I know what he’s been up to. Coming around pretending an interest in cattle.”

  “Pretending!” Joseph’s hand curled into a fist, his brief sympathy for his neighbour evaporated. He was aware of Robert moving in close beside him.

  “Your gold money might indulge his fancy but I will not.” Spittle formed on Ellis’s lips. “I hear he’s to live at Smith’s Ridge now. Do you think my daughter can be bought with a few cattle and a shepherd’s hut?”

  “Shepherd’s hut!” Anger burned inside Joseph with the heat of a summer sun. “Smith’s Ridge is a suitable establishment for anyone my son chooses to ask to be his wife.” Joseph pushed his face close to Prosser’s. “But you can rest assured it wouldn’t be the likes of your daughter he’d be asking for the hand of.”

  “He has been sniffing around her for years.”

  Joseph glared at Prosser. “He’s not a dog.”

  “He’s little better.”

  “You’re the dog, you mongrel.” He poked Prosser’s barrel chest.

  Prosser’s lips twisted in an ugly grin. “I think that term is more apt for the brood you’re raising with a black woman.”

  Joseph lifted his arm but Robert was beside him, holding him back. He was momentarily stunned by the strength of his son’s grip.

  Prosser struggled up, the colour deepening in his face again. The two men glared at each other. They were matched in height but Prosser had extra weight and was a good ten years older than Joseph.

  “Get off my land, Prosser, and take your daughter with you. My son is far too good for the likes of her.”

  Ellis mopped at his crimson face once more. His shoulders drooped and he blew out a long breath. In that instant he looked every bit the miserable old man he was. “Georgina doesn’t know but she and her mother leave for England to see family in a month. You keep your son away from Prosser’s Run until they’re gone.”

  Joseph felt a wave of sadness for William. Still, it would be for the best. “My son will be all the better without the distraction.”

  Prosser waved a hand at Robert. “Bring our horses, boy.”

  Joseph shook his head. “You are our guest but you lack any sense of common courtesy. The horses are tethered but a few steps behind you. Get them yourself.” He turned on his heel, afraid if he stayed a moment longer he would punch Ellis Prosser on his big fat nose.

  “They look strong and healthy.” Georgina paused to look over several cows munching contentedly on the long grass nearby. She looked back at William and a smile lifted her lips. “As you say, time on good pasture will soon fatten them up.”

  William glanced up the hill to their fathers. “Looks like movement up there. Your father will be wanting you to leave soon.”

  “He’s been almost melancholy of late.” Georgina cast her gaze up the hill like William had. “He wanted me to come with him so we could spend some time looking over our own property. We’ve left a spare horse and supplies back at our first waterhole. We are to camp out three nights. That was how I got him to let me wear these trousers.”

  William was standing only two feet from Georgina and he liked what he saw. “It makes better sense than skirts.”

  Georgina laughed. The merry sound sent a warm tingle through William’s chest.

  “I’m glad you approve.”

  “Millie used to wear trousers when she worked with father but with the little children and another on the way she tends to stay more at the house these days.”

  “I envy your big family.”

  “Really?” William studied her for any sign of teasing.

  “It can be so quiet at our house. I miss the noise of my brothers and, though I can’t believe I’m saying it, their teasing.”

  “Perhaps you’ll have your own big family one day.”

  “Perhaps.” The wistful look left her face and her eyes sparkled. “But I wouldn’t want to become housebound like your poor stepmother.”

  William’s chest filled with longing. He itched to take her hand, pull her close, tell her how he felt, but with her father so near there was no way he could attempt it. It wasn’t as if he’d never held a woman in his arms or even kissed one for that matter, but none of them had sparked the desire Georgina did. He loved her. He was quite sure of that. He’d harboured this feeling for so long even before he
understood what it was.

  Georgina glanced once more up the hill, flipped her hand as if brushing at a fly and knocked her hat from her head. Immediately William bent down to pick it up. She bent too, her hand went over the top of his and he felt a warm tingle as her lips brushed his cheek. He reached for her but she stood up and stepped back. A cheeky smile lit up her face.

  “What game are you playing, Georgina?”

  “It’s not a game.” She pushed her hat firmly back on her head. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time but we never get the chance to be alone.”

  William’s heart thumped in his chest. “Do you truly mean that?”

  “I never say anything I don’t mean.”

  “Georgina!” She looked around, startled by her father’s call.

  Ellis Prosser was marching down the hill, leading their two horses.

  “Damn it, Georgina.” The frustration William felt at not being able to follow up that kiss and the thunderous look on Ellis’s face strung him as tight as a piece of fencing wire. He scowled at her. “It’s only the thought of your father hanging me up from the nearest tree that stops me from taking you in my arms right now.”

  “Time to go,” Ellis bellowed.

  William had time to give her one last longing look before her father was beside them, thrusting the reins of her horse towards her.

  Ellis helped Georgina up then heaved himself up onto his saddle and glared down at William. “There will be no further need for you to visit Prosser’s Run.”

  William blanched. Had Ellis seen Georgina’s kiss?

  “I’ve done all I can for you.” Ellis wheeled his horse around. It snorted and pranced. “Keep your cattle well maintained and away from mine.” He flicked the reins and his horse sprang away. “Come along, Georgina.”

  William risked stepping up to her. “We must meet again.”

  “Soon.” Once more she gave him a cheeky grin. “I’ll send word.” Then she too urged her horse on after her father.

  William watched, hands on hips, until they disappeared from his sight among the trees along the creek. He couldn’t believe it. It appeared Georgina truly returned his affection: a thought that would buoy him until they could meet again. He grinned. Then he would give her a kiss she’d never forget.